Clutch



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

H. J. GILBERT. CLUTCH.

Patented June 2,1891.

(No odel.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

H. J. GILBERT.

CLUTCH.

No. 453,324. Patented June 2, 1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY J. GILBERT, OF SAGINAIV, MICHIGAN.

CLUTCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 453,324, dated June 2, 1891.

Application filed December 16, 1889. Serial No. 333,924. No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY J. GILBERT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Saginaw, in the county of Saginaw and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clutches, of which the followingis a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to friction-clutches for communicating the revolution of a shaft to a pulley or to another shaft in alignment with the revolving shaft; and it has for its object the improved construction of such clutches whereby their durability and efficiency are increased.

The novelty of my invention will be hereinafter set forth and specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1,

Sheet 1, is a plan view of a clutch embodying my invention and partly in section. Fig. 2, Sheet 1, is a sectional detail of the separable shifter-sleeve. Fig. 3, Sheet 2, is an elevation or face view of the clutch through the dotted line or a: of Fig. 1, looking to the right. Fig. 4, Sheet 2, is an enlarged elevation of the toggle-operating lever. Fig. 5, Sheet 2, is a plan of Fig. 4. Fig. 6, Sheet 2, is a rear end elevation of Fig. 4. Fig. 7, Sheet 2, is a rear elevation of the toggle-link. Fig. 8, Sheet 3, is a sectional view through the dotted line as a; of Fig. 1, looking to the left. Fig. 9, Sheet 3, is a rear elevation of the clamping-jaws and jaw-carrier. Fig. 10, Sheet 3, is a side elevation, partly in section, of the. jaw-carrier. Fig. 11, Sheet 3, is a sectional plan of the jawcarrier through the dotted line y y of Fig. 9.

The same letters of reference are used to indicate identical parts in all the figures.

A represents a revolving line or other shaft, having loose thereon a separable flanged sleeve B, the two halves of which are bolted together in the usual or any suitable manner. Secured by bolts a to the flange of the sleeve B is a separable pulley O, the two halves of which are secured together by bolts 1), Fig. 3, connecting adjacent pairs of their spokes. Fast upon the shaft A, adjacent to the sleeve .13, is the separable jaw-carrier D, made in two similar parts, having a central twopart hub a, secured together by bolts (Z, and

consisting, essentially, of two parallel arms tangential to the shaft and lying within the plane of the front edge of the pulley-rim 0. Connecting the two outer parts of the jaw-carrying armsD, at each end, is a guide-web 6, Figs. 1, 10, and 11, having a boltf through its two parts and the arms D to support and stiffen their outer ends,,and the outer face of this web is in the plane of the front edge of the pulleyrim 0. Restingagainst the outer face of each of the webs e is the vertical part 9 of the outer jaw E, whose inner clamping side is made to conform to the curvature of the pulley O, and which, as shown in Fig. 9, may be babbitted. The parts 9 of the outer jaw fill the space between the outer parts of the arms, D, and they are provided with inwardly-extending flanges h, which are curved in under the rim of the pulley O. The inner jaws F, whose outer clamping sides conform to the curvature of the inner face of the pulley-rim, have vertical portions '6 resting against the inner sides of the webs e, and are provided with side flanges j. Bolts 70, passed through vertical slots in the vertical portions 9 of the outer jaws and screwed into the portions *5 of the inner jaws, serve to hold the two portions in proper contact with the Webs e, and aid in guiding the jaws as they approach and recede from the rim of the pulley C. There is of course a clearance for the inner bolt in the web 6. Pivoted, as at Z, to the flanges h of the outer jaws is a link G, Figs. 1 and 7, into the upper end of which is pivoted by a bolt m the knuckle n of the toggle-operating lever H, having perforated lugs 0, pivoted, as at p, to and between the inner part of the flange j of the inner jaw F. The projecting ends of the bolt m are confined in horizontal slots (1 in the flanges r of the arms D.

Pivoted to the outer ends of each of the levers H, as at s, is a divided coupling-arm I, whose two parts are connected for purposes of adjustment by turn-buckles J. The outer ends of these arms I are pivoted, as at t, to cars upon a separable sleeve K, clamped by bolts to around the shaft A, and feathered and free to slide thereon.

The sleeve K is operated by any suitable mechanism for sliding it toward the jaw-carrier to effect the clamping of the jaws E and F to the pulley O, and away from said carrier to disengage said jaws; but as a novel means for shifting said jaws I have shown a right and left screw-shaft M, Figs. 1 and 8, supported in a suitable bearing N having a horizontal slot for the passage of said shaft, and lying directly beneath and transversely of the shaft A. One end of said shaft M is provided with an operating-wheel or crank-handle O for rotating the shaft and engaging the thread of the shaft M. On each side of the shaft A are nuts P P, each having an upwardly-projecting boss 1', from which pivoted liifis Q Q extend toward the shaft A, the former Q being pivoted to a ring L in a circumferential groove in the sleeve K, and the latter Q being pivoted to a ring R, loose in a circumferential groove in a separable sleeve S, secured by bolts 10 upon the shaft A, and clamped thereto by set-screws a, or in any other suitable manner. It will be seen from this construction that by turning the shaft M in one direction the nuts P P are made to approach each other, and the links Q Q by spreading, force the sleeve K toward the j awcarrier and effect the clamping of the jaws in the following manner: It will be noticed that the pivotal points t s m are out of line, with the point slying outside of a straight line between the points If m, so that as the sleeve K approaches the j aw-carrier the outer ends of the levers H are thrown up, thereby bringing the pivotal points lm 1) into an approximately vertical plane, and thereby firmly clamping the jaws E and F to the pulley C and effecting the clutch, as will be readily understood. The retraction of the sleeve K draws down the outer ends of the levers H, and by throwing back the bolt in and link G releases the jaws from the pulley O to break the clutch engagement, as will also be readily understood. It is to be observed that the guideslots q are of greater width than the diameter of the bolts m for the purpose of allowing sulticient play to always insure the even and straight gripping of the rim of the pulley O, for by allowing this radial play of the jaws of each set in the same direotion,in addition to the clutching movements of the jaws of each set in opposite directions, this even gripping will be accomplished even if the pulley C be somewhat out of true. It will also be observed that the location of the toggle-pivots Z m p is between the vertical planes of the outer edges of the pulley C, so that the clutching is even upon the jaws E F and rim of the pulley, and the latter is gripped by the entire clamping-surfaces of the jaws, and there is no tendency to undue wear upon either side of the forward edge of the rim of the pulley nor upon the rear edges of either of the clamping-jaws E F, as has hitherto been the case in many of this class of pulleys.

In Fig. 1 it is intended that a separable pulley (not shown) be secured to the sleeve B in the usual or any suitable manner, though where the clutch is intended for two shafts in alignment the ends of the shaft are represented by the dotted lines b of Fig.1, and the pulley G is made fast to the right-hand section, as will be readily understood.

A large part of the advantages of my invention is obtained where the parts are not separable and bolted together, as stated, though I prefer the latter construction, as by means of split rings or bushings c, Fig. 2, applied to the different sleeves and hubs the parts may be applied to shafts of different diameters. In the case, however, of the pulley C I provide interchangeable sleeves B for the purpose of securing it to shafts of different sizes. These separable sleeves are similar in construction to the one illustrated in Fig. 1, differing from that only in thickness, those for largersized shafts than that shown in Fig. 1 being thinner and those for smaller-sized shafts being thicker, the front ends and flanges of all the sleeves being of the same external size, so that they will all fit the hub of the pulley O.

\Vhile I have shown the jaw-carrier as provided only with two pairs of diametricallyset jaws, it is obvious that it might be made with four or more arms, each provided with a pair of jaws and toggle mechanism connecting the same and the shifting-sleeve.

Having thus fully described myinvention, I claim- 1. The combination, with a revolving shaft and a clutch-pulley loose as to said shaft, of a jaw-carrier fast to said shaft, an exterior and an interior clutch-jaw carried by said jaw-carrier, both jaws having radial play in the same direction in addition to their clutching movements in opposite directions, and means for causing the jaws to clutch the pulley-rim, whereby said jaws may adjust themselves to the pulley-rim when the latter is out of true, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a revolving shaft and a clutch-pulley loose as to said shaft, of a jaw-carrier fast to said shaft, exterior and interior clutch-jaws carried by said jaw-carrier, toggle leverage applied to said jaws at a point within the planes of the edges of the pulley-rim, and means for operating said toggle leverage to clamp the clutch-jaws to the pulley-rim, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a revolving shaft and a clutch-pulley loose as to said shaft, of a jaw-carrier fast to said shaft, exterior and interior clutch-jaws carried by said jaw-carrier, toggle leverage applied to said jaws for actuating the same, a sleeve feathered and sliding on said shaft and connected to said toggle leverage, and a screw-shaft connected to said sleeve for shifting the same to cause the clamping-jaws to clutch the pulley-rim, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with a revolving shaft and a separable clutch-pulley loose as to said shaft, of a separable jaw-carrier fast to said shaft, exterior and interior clutch-jaws carcarrier, and means for operating said toggleried by said jaw-carrier, and leverage applied to said jaws. to clamp the same to the pulley, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with a revolving shaft and a separable clutch-pulley loose as to said shaft, of a separable jaw-carrier fast to said shaft, exterior and interior clutch-jaws carried by said jaw-carrier, toggle leverage ap plied to said jaws at a point within the planes of the edges of the pulley-rim, and means for operating said toggle leverage, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with a revolving shaft and a clutch-pulley loose as to said shaft, of a jaw-carrier fast to said shaft, exterior and interior clutch-jaws carried by said jaw-carrier, a toggle interposed directly between said jaws, one of its links being pivoted to the outer jaw and one to the inner jaw, and its central pivot guided in a bearing in the jawto clamp the clutch-jaws to the pulley-rim.

7. The combination, with a revolving shaft and a clutch-pulley loose as to said shaft, of a jaw-carrier fast to said shaft, exterior and interior clutch-jaws carried by said jaw-carrier, a toggle interposed directly between said jaws at a point within the planes of the edges of the pulley-rim and having its central pivot guided in a-bearing in the jaw-carrier, and means for operating said toggle to clamp the clutch-jaws to the pulley-rim.

8. The combination, with a revolving shaft and a clutch-pulley loose as to said shaft, of a jaw-carrier fast to said shaft, exterior and interior clutch-jaws carried by said j aw-carrier, both jaws having radial play in the same direction, in addition to their clutching movements inopposite directions, toggle leverage applied to said jaws and having its central pivotcarried and guided, with both horizontal and vertical play, in a bearing in the j awcarrier, and means for operating said toggle leverage to clamp the clutch-jaws to the pulley-rim, whereby said jaws may adjust themselves to said rim when the latter is out of true.

9. The combination, with a revolving shaft and clutch-pulley loose as to said shaft, of a jaw-carrier fast to said shaft, inversely-moving clutch-jaws carried by said jaw-carrier and capable of radial play in the same direction, in addition to their clutching movements in opposite directions, a toggle interposed directly between said jaws at a point within the planes of the edges of the pulleyrim and having its central pivot guided in a bearing in the jaw-carrier, and means for op erating said toggle to clamp the clutch-jaws to the pulley-rim,

' 10. The combination, with a revolving shaft and a clutch-pulley loose as to said shaft, of a jawcarrier fast to said shaft, inverselymoving clutch-jaws carried by said jaw-carrier and capable of radial play in the same direction, in addition to other clutching movements in opposite directions, a toggle interposed directly between said jaws at a point within the planes of the edges of the pulleyrim and having its central pivot carried and guided in slots in the jaw-carrier, a sliding sleeve on the shaft, and connections between said sleeve and toggle for operating the latter to clamp the clutch-jaws to the pulley-rim.

11. The combination of the shaft A, clutchpulley C, loose as to said shaft, jaw-carrier D, fast upon said shaft, jaws E F, carried and guided bysaid carrier, and toggle-levers, Hpivoted to the jaws F and to links G, pivoted to the jaws E, said toggle-levers and links being connected by pins m, having bearings in guide slots q in the jaw-carrier, substantially as described.

12. In a clutch, the combination, with the toggle-operating levers H and connectinglinks I, of the sliding sleeve K, connected to said links, fixed sleeve S, rings R, links Q Q, nuts P, and screw-shaft M, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

HENRY J. GILBERT. Witnesses:

N. S. W001), MARY C. FOWLER. 

